Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 09/05/2019 09:06 AM EDT
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Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter 

Recycle Right NY - Be Sharps Smart!

Sharps Deposit

Safety is on the line when it comes to disposing sharps! Household medical sharps like syringes, needles and lancets should not be disposed of in any household recycling bin. People handling your household recyclables can get injured. Each year, an estimated 45 percent of all facility worker injuries at recycling facilities result from used needles that ended up in the recycling stream.

Recycling facility workers must quickly sort through recyclables and non-recyclables as conveyor belts turn, where they can come into contract with used sharps. Used sharps have the potential to infect facility workers with a variety of blood-borne infections, including HIV, Hep B, and Hep C.

You have the power to prevent future injury, bloodborne infections, and death with simple household strategies and tips that can help prevent household sharps from causing injury or harm to staff in the recycling field and in your community.

Help us #RecycleRightNY! by using these practical tips that'll help you keep sharps out of the recycling stream and people in your community safe!

  • Bring your home-generated sharps to approved drop-off locations. All hospitals and nursing homes in New York State are mandated by law to accept home-generated sharps as a free community service through their sharps collection programs.
  • Purchase an FDA-approved container or a medical waste mailback kit.
  • Make your own sharps disposal container out of a puncture resistant, unbreakable plastic laundry detergent or bleach container. Label the container by clearly writing "contains sharps" in permanent marker on the front and seal the bottle with duct tape once it's three quarters full.

Learn more about New York State's Safe Sharps Collection Program!

Green Your Way Back to School!

It's back to school season, which means time to grab your school supply checklist! Going back to school can be expensive and wasteful. But don't fret - there are many ways to save money, reuse responsibly and reduce paper, plastic and electronic waste. Whether you are a parent or college student, here are a few ways to go back to school the sustainable way:

  • Back to SchoolReuse old school supplies
  • Host a school supplies swap
  • Pack lunch with reusable containers
  • Use reusable water bottles and coffee mugs
  • Use both sides of paper
  • Join or start a sustainability club
  • Buy used textbooks or read online versions

 

 Upcoming Events

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We Want To Hear From You!

Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about or a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know more about? E-mail us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov and it could be featured in an upcoming Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter.